Agenda Item No____14________
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT – DELIVERY OF ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
2012/13 QUARTER 1
Summary:
Recommendations:
Cabinet Member(s)
This report covers the performance of the Council
against the priorities set out in the Annual Action Plan
2012/13.
a) That Cabinet note the current position with
the waste and cleansing contract as set out
in the briefing note shown at appendix 3.
b) That two additional planning assistants be
recruited on a temporary basis for a 12
month period pending the outcome of the
peer challenge, to be funded from a
combination of the HPDG earmarked reserve
and the additional revenue from the
proposed national fee increase from October
2012. That additional support for planning
enforcement is progressed with the Borough
Council Kings Lynn & West Norfolk.
Ward(s) affected
Cllr Keith Johnson
All
Contact Officer, telephone number and email:
Sheila Oxtoby, 01263 516000, sheila.oxtoby@north-norfolk.gov.uk
1.
Introduction
1.1
Annual Action Plan 2012/13.
In February 2012 Council approved the Annual Action Plan 2012/13. This first
Annual Action Plan, outlines how the priorities in the Corporate Plan will be
realised over the 12 months from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013.
1.2
Performance Management Framework.
Council also approved in May 2012 an updated performance Management
Framework. This framework ensures that all key activities within the Council
are performance managed and where appropriate performance indicators and
measures used to assess performance during the year. This report and
further quarterly reports on the delivery of the Annual Action Plan 2012/13 are
key elements of the Performance Management Framework.
2.
Overview and Exceptions
2.1
For each Corporate Plan priority, an assessment of the achievement to date
along with any recommended actions to improve performance is summarised
below and detailed in appendix 1.
2.2
Jobs and the Local Economy
Activities
During the first quarter of 2012/13 the Council engaged with a number of
businesses and partners regarding potential investment decisions in the
District which it is hoped will deliver positive outcomes in the coming months.
Whilst a number of these contacts remain commercially sensitive at the
present time, examples of where the Council has offered advice and support
to developers / investors proposing investment in the district during Qtr 1
include:•
•
•
discussions with Hain Celestial which has recently submitted planning
applications for future investment in their facilities at Fakenham which will
safeguard existing jobs at the plant and support up to 150 new positions;
providing advice to a number of developers which have proposed
investment in new retail proposals in the district, which have resulted in
proposals for new stores in Holt, North Walsham and Wells;
and continuing to work with companies taking forward investment in the
offshore wind energy sector including SCIRA and Warwick Energy, the
latter of which has recently gained consent to develop the Dudgeon
offshore wind proposal off Cromer.
On other sites / locations, the authority is trying to unlock sites with long-term
infrastructure constraints such as the former General Trailers site at North
Walsham and the Tattersett Business Park site in the west of the district.
Further the Council has offered advice and support for emerging proposals for
the future economic development related investment at the former RAF
Coltishall site.
Sadly after 10 months of uncertainty regarding the future of the Cromer Crab
Company operation, Youngs Seafood announced that the facility would close
in July 2012. The Council, through its Learning for Everyone programme,
delivered redundancy advice and support to some 70 individuals employed at
the factory providing advice and guidance on retraining, accessing new
employment etc. The factory premises has recently been advertised for
disposal through a Norwich based commercial property agent.
The Council is committed to work with regional partners to realise the benefits
of Rural Growth Network status for North Norfolk. Despite a considerable
amount of support and effort by partners and the New Anglia LEP for the
Norfolk and Suffolk were not successful in gaining support through this
programme at a national level.
We proposed commencing a review of our procurement policies to maximise
the opportunities to source goods and services locally during Quarter 1, and
supported a North Norfolk public sector procurement workshop at Bodham in
April as part of this work
We had planned to start a review of all our business regulatory functions to
ensure we are focused on local business need during quarter 1. This has not
started yet pending implementation of new management arrangements.
Indicators and Measures
Five businesses accessed loans & grants under the Coastal Pathfinder
scheme in quarter 1. These successful applications were for grants applied for
in the last two quarters of the previous financial year. This is one short of our
target of six. There is currently 1 loan application being considered for further
discussion before coming to a final decision. (Indicator J 002)
2.3
Housing and Infrastructure
Activities
The first of a three part housing strategy was adopted by Council on 25 July
2012 and Members engaged in two workshops to support the development of
the strategy. The second part of the housing strategy is due to be considered
by Cabinet in September 2012 and a new housing allocations policy due to be
considered by Cabinet in December 2012. The monitoring of the strategy will
be undertaken by a newly configured Housing and Planning Policy Board and
reports to Cabinet but will be first considered by a housing working party
which is due to be established.
This will ensure greater Member involvement in developing and monitoring
the Council’s approach to strategic housing.
A schedule of stalled sites has been prepared and the reasons for delay are
currently being collated to establish whether there are further interventions or
mechanisms by which the Council can bring forward development more
quickly. A consultation paper has recently been released by central
government titled Renegotiation of Section 106 Planning Obligations which is
proposing that local authorities can be asked to formally renegotiate the terms
of all planning obligations agreed on or prior to the 6 April 2010, the Council is
currently assessing how many sites this would relate to in North Norfolk.
Draft development briefs have been prepared on two of the allocated sites in
Fakenham and Stalham and have been subject to public consultation. Work
will now commence on the remaining two allocated sites at North Walsham
and Holt. A £2.4m investment has been secured through the Growing Places
Fund to finance the initial infrastructure outlay on the former HL Food
development site in North Walsham.
Funding was successfully secured to pilot the development of a
neighbourhood plan at Holt and this is being lead by Holt Town Council with
advice and guidance being provided by the Council’s Planning Policy
Manager. A neighbourhood planning seminar was held for all Town and
Parish Councils on 25 April 2012 and follow up discussions have been held
with 6 parish councils as a consequence. However the Council is currently
focusing its resources in supporting the pilot scheme.
Consultants have been appointed to undertake infrastructure and viability
assessments which will be required as evidence to support the introduction of
a Community Infrastructure Levy. Progress is being reported through the
Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working Party.
Work on reducing the number of empty homes continues. We have
introduced processes to ascertain the intentions of owners where their
property is identified as an unfurnished second home for Council Tax
purposes i.e. likely to be an empty home. An initial letter has been sent to 127
owners for which we have received 42 responses. Failure to respond will
result in 2 further letters before enforcement action is considered and a
number of these owners have received the second letter and some the third.
If a response is received this will be considered and where the property has
been wrongly categorised or there has been a change which has not been
notified, the Council Tax department is notified with a view to the records
being updated.
Where the owner has a clear intention to bring the property back into use or
where the property is on the market for sale we will flag for review at an
appropriate point in the future. Where the owner has no current intentions we
will advise of the Council’s wish to bring empty properties back into use and
its willingness to take enforcement action. We offer support to owners wishing
to sell their properties and have developed the Empty Property Matching
Service which was launched in April and has 2 owners registered who have a
property to sell and 13 people registered as prospective purchasers of empty
homes. We also offer support to owners wishing to rent their property and
since launching a service which enables owners to advertise their properties
through the Your Choice Your Home scheme, 23 properties have been
advertised of which 5 were properties to which the Council has nomination
rights as a result of giving an Empty Homes Grant. CPO action has been
commenced on 3 properties as a pilot and a report is due to be brought back
to cabinet in October 2012.
Indicators and Measures
106 households on the housing register have been rehoused in the first
quarter of 2012/13. (Indicator H 005) 8 affordable homes were built in this
quarter. (Indicator H 007).
2.4
Coast, Countryside and Built Heritage
Activities
We have undertaken improvement work with the local communities in Sadlers
Wood, leading to its success in being awarded the Green Flag. A new play
area is also being installed in September.
Holt Country Park also achieved a Green Flag status, for the eighth year in
succession.
Our ongoing work to maintain high quality tourist beaches has led to the
retention of all of the District's Blue Flag beaches. Blue Flags have now been
awarded at Sheringham, Cromer, Mundesley and Sea Palling beaches. East
Runton has also been awarded the Quality Coast Award. These beaches
require excellent standards of cleanliness, as well as lifeguard provision and
toilet facilities, as well as dog controls in place.
Whilst we set a target to achieve zero defaults in our waste contract for
cleanliness, this has not been achieved as 13 defaults were issued to the
contractor for cleansing related failures in the first quarter. An Improvement
Plan is in the process of being agreed with our contractors which will address
these issues. A briefing note is shown at appendix 3.
There are still some issues with the response times for dealing with flytipping
on public land. Again, this issue is being addressed and will be contained
within the contract Improvement Plan.
Work to complete or review 4 Conservation Area plans, in Cromer,
Sheringham, Walsingham and Wells has been delayed due to pressure of
commitment to Development Management delaying progress; OS licensing
issues for plans are also causing hold ups.
A new integrated approach to management of our coast in being developed
and the Kelling to Lowestoft Ness Shoreline Management Plan is nearing its
final adoption. Funding has been secured (from external sources) to
undertake a study to inform the future management options of our coast.
Contracts have been procured for the implementation of a major coast
protection scheme for Cromer and external funding of £10m is in its final
stages of approval.
Indicators and Measures
There is some sign of improvement in the processing speed of other planning
applications. Decisions issued under delegation have exceeded the target of
90%. There is however no sign of improvement in minor applications.
The processing times for planning
(Indicators C 005 and C 006).
applications remains a concern as does the level of planning enforcement
activity. A resources paper is available as a background document to support
recommendation b.
There has been an 11% improvement in quarter 1 moving from 79% in
quarter 4 last year to 90% for responding to all fly tipping and all other
pollution complaints within 2 working days. The challenging target of 100% is
currently not being achieved, (Indicator C 007)
2.5
Localism
Activities
The Localism agenda has been embraced by the Council. In particular:
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•
•
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support for voluntary and community organisations has been
established,
community initiatives have been developed in response to identified
regeneration needs and community aspirations,
funding for community projects is being provided by the Big Society
Fund; and;
Government funding for the development of a Neighbourhood Plan
Pilot Scheme for Holt has been obtained.
Various activities are in train to facilitate better dialogue, involvement and
communication with North Norfolk’s communities and to help embed the
principles of the Big Society within the Council.
2.6
Delivering the Vision
Activities
The review of management arrangements is ongoing. Appointments have
been made to 6 Heads of Service posts. The remaining 2 Heads of Service
posts are being advertised at the moment (August 2012). We are on track to
achieve projected savings.
All high priority audit recommendations have been completed on time and any
medium recommendations were followed up as of end of July 2012.
Work has not yet started on consulting with the residents through a Place
Survey. A project brief will be prepared and submitted to CLT in September
2012.
Implementation of the cost saving Revenues and Benefits shared services
project is in progress. The North Norfolk data conversion process was
achieved by May 2012; significant early performance issues with IT
infrastructure has resulted in an Improvement Plan being put in place; strong
project management team arrangements are in place. The meeting of the first
Joint Committee between BCKLWN and NNDC members held in July 2012;
with some decline in levels of performance resulting in increased processing
times at present which is being monitored regularly.
Indicators and Measures
Based on the annual audit plan as at the end of July 2012, 61.5 days had
been delivered against the planned 81 days for the same period (target 38%).
Additional 2.5 days delivered of extra 14 days agreed. (Indicator V 004)
The first quarter figure for working days lost to sickness absence was 1.12.
This is an excellent result for the first quarter and compares well to previous
years. There were 5 cases of long term sick of which 2 have returned to
work. (Indicator V 007)
3.
Assessment of Progress of the whole Annual Action Plan
3.1
The analysis of progress on the whole annual action plan is contained in the
appendices to this report and includes;
3.1.1
Appendix 1 - Reporting on Progress of activities. A report on the progress
of delivering each activity in the Annual Action Plan 2012/13 together with
details of any action being taken to deal with any issues.
3.1.2
Appendix 2 – Reporting on Indicators and Measures. A first quarter report
(April – June 2012) showing achievement against target for all
performance indicators and identifying improvement or worsening
performance for all performance measures. Details of any action being
taken to deal with any performance issues is also given.
3.1.3
Appendix 3 briefing note
4.
Implications and Risks
Prompt action to deal with any performance issues identified by this report will
reduce the risk to delivery of the Annual Action Plan 2012/13 and the
achievement of the priorities in the Corporate Plan 2012-15. The
recommendations of this report outline the action being taken to reduce or
remove the risk of not delivering the Corporate Plan.
5.
Financial Implications and Risks
There are financial implications relating to recommendation b.
6.
Sustainability
There are no sustainability implications of this report.
7.
Equality and Diversity
There are no equality and diversity implications of this report.
8.
Section 17 Crime and Disorder considerations
There are no Section 17 Crime and Disorder implications of this report.